Elections are right around the corner (April 6) and as a city that holds the distinction and enjoys the reputation as one of the most bicycle friendly communities in the country, we feel its important that bicycling stays a priority among our newly elected City Council. With all but two seats (District 2 – Julie Pignataro and District 6 – Emily Gorgol) up for election this year , we wanted you, as bicycle enthusiasts and supporters to know where the candidates stand on the past-time, the sport, and the transportation mode of bicycling — that is so important to us and our future, as well as such a part of our city’s identity.

Bike Fort Collins sent each of the candidates listed below a short questionnaire intended to give them an opportunity to introduce themselves and provide their position on proximate bicycle and active transportation-related issues. While, as a 501c(3), BFC cannot endorse nor support a specific candidate, we are happy to compile and share their responses to better enable you to make more informed decisions when filling out your ballot this year.

All candidates are listed below alphabetically by Mayor or or Council District. Simply click on their name to view/read their questionnaire responses. Not sure of the boundaries each Council District represents? View a District Map here.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES (2-Year Term)

• JENI ARNDT
• GERRY HORAK
• MOLLY SKOLD

CITY COUNCIL – DISTRICT 1 CANDIDATES (4-Year Term)

• NICK ARMSTRONG
• SUSAN GUTOWSKY

CITY COUNCIL – DISTRICT 3 CANDIDATES (4-Year Term)

• TRICIA CANONICO
• GAVIN KASZYNSKI

CITY COUNCIL – DISTRICT 4 CANDIDATES (2-Year Term to Fill Vacancy)

• JESSICA DYRDAHL
• ERIN HOTTENSTEIN
• SHIRLEY PEEL
• MELANIE POTYONDY
• SIDNA RACHID

CITY COUNCIL – DISTRICT 5 CANDIDATES (4-Year Term)

• JEFF HANSEN
• KELLY OHLSON

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Below are the questions we asked the candidates:

General 

• Do you regularly ride a bicycle? If so, what kind of riding do you do?
• Given Fort Collins’s bicycle friendliness, what City bike amenity (i.e. what bike trail, or bikeway, maintenance stations, etc.), element of bicycle infrastructure, or bicycle program is your favorite, or (if you ride) that you use most regularly?

2014 Bicycle Master Plan

The City’s most current Bicycle Master Plan is due to be revisited/updated and will likely include/anticipate all active modes of transportation.

• What should be the City’s role in supporting (including funding) active modes of transportation as a safe, affordable, efficient and convenient travel option for people of all ethnicities, ages and abilities?
• What role do you see active transportation playing in City’s ability to achieve its goal and reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 (vs. 2005 levels), on its way to carbon neutrality by 2050?

Bicycle Infrastructure

Significant areas of our local community have gaps or intersections and areas that need improvement as it relates to safe bicycling and walking infrastructure. In addition to being a safety hazard, they discourage residents from these activities, as a recently completed Multi-modal Index also highlights. Bike Fort Collins has begun to feature some of these ‘opportunities’ on our website as Intersection/Facility Focuses, as well as made presentations to the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and Transportation Board.

• How would you approach these opportunities and other infrastructure gaps relative to bicycle safety?

Fort Collins Bike Park

Bike Fort Collins is a partner in an initiative started by our peer organization, Overland Mountain Bike Association, to bring a Bike Park to the City of Fort Collins. While Fort Collins is the progressive and bicycle friendly city that it is, many residents have to travel to places like Boulder (see Valmont Bike Park) to access such an amenity. In surveying the community for input during the 2020 Parks & Rec 10-Year Master Planning process, if ‘Mountain Bike Courses’ hadn’t been listed separately from ‘Bike Park’ (as they are contained within Bike Parks), the combined category would have been among the top-four identified/desired amenities by the community. See survey results

• Do you support the planning and construction of a Bike Park for the Fort Collins community? Why or why not?

Our peer organization, the Overland Mountain Bike Association collected similar surveys from the candidates on more mountain bike specific issues facing Fort Collins (as well as the Bike Park topic that we also inquired about). Read more on how the candidates responded to their questionnaire here.